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CUBA. 

BY REV. JAMES RAWSON, A.M. 

J J J 



<M-^yji 





EDITED BY D. P. KIDD: 



3fm-|3ork: 

PUBLISHED BY LANE & TIPPETT, 

FOB THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL tTNION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAI. 
CHURCH, 200 MULBERKT-STREET. 

JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER. 












Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 
G. Lane & C. B. Tippbtt, in the Clerk's Office of the District 
Court of the Southern District of New-York. 



^ 






r 

J 









CONTENTS. 



CHAP. PAGE 

I. Early history op the islaio)— dis- 
covery — NATIVES — A CHIEF — TRADI- 
TIONS 7 

n. Present condition-^population — ^har- 

BORS-7MORO castle 12 

in. Havana — streets — stores— houses — 

CATHEDRAL — ORPHAN HOUSE — SCHOOLS 19 

IV. The sabbath — the firing op cannon — 

CHURCH SERVICES — RIDING — GAMBLING 27 

V. Coast, climate, etc — keys — pish — 

RIVERS — TREES — RAINY SEASON ... 32 
VI. 'A RIDE IN THE INTERIOR — ECEDGES — FEN- 
CES — ^FRUITS — A LANDSCAPE — INSECTS . 39 

VJUL. The coffee plantation ...... 46 

Vm. The SUGAR plantation . 54 

IX. Peasantry — cottage — ^hobse — dress — 

cocoa-nuts 59 

X. Birds, etc. — mocking-bird — doti — 

bloodhounds 64 



CUBA 



CHAPTER I. 
EARLY HISTORY OF THE ISLAND. 

The Island of Cuba was discovered 
by Columbus on the 27tli of October, 
1492, and was by him named Juana, 
in honor of the son of the king of 
Spain. The king, however, in 1514, 
ordered it to be called Fernandina, 
which was afterward changed for 
Cuba, the name given to it by its 
native inhabitants. 

All the Spanish historians concur 
in describing the natives as a most 
inoffensive race. They lived in vil- 
lages of two or three hundred houses, 
each habitation containing several 



8 CUBA. r 

families, and are said to have pos-* 
sessed an abundance of food, and of 
the other necessaries of Hfe. 

The number of natives, when the 
island was first discovered, has been 
variously estimated at from three to 
six hundred thousand. The tyranny 
of their conquerors, and the excessive 
toil to which they were compelled to 
submit, soon diminished their num- 
bers. Multitudes were compelled to 
work in the mines, where they soon 
perished; and still more fled to the 
mountains, where they destroyed 
themselves, or died of hunger, to 
escape from their cruel taskmasters. 

One of the chiefs, named Hatuey, 
who had escaped from Hayti when 
the Spaniards conquered that island, 
had warned the Indians of Cuba of 
the thirst of the Spaniards for gold ; 



CUBA. "9 

and had advised them to deny having 
any of the precious metal, if asked 
for it by the men who, he told them, 
were about to explore their island. 
This unfortunate chief was captured by 
the Spaniards soon after they arrived 
on the island, and was cruelly con- 
demned to be burned aUve. When 
tied to the stake, he was urged by a 
priest to become a Christian, and 
was told that he would then go to 
heaven; but that if he persisted in 
his heathenism he would descend to 
a hell of dreadful punishment. The 
chief thought awhile, and then asked 
if all Christians went to heaven ; the 
priest having assured him that they 
did, he quickly replied, "Then I 
would rather go to hell, and not meet 
such cruel people as the Christians 
are !" 



10 CUBA. 

These Indians were of a copper 
color, with black hair; tall, erect, 
well proportioned, and with regular 
features. They adorned their heads 
with garlands of fish-bones, and with 
plumes of feathers, and painted their 
bodies with red earth. Their food 
consisted of wild animals and birds, 
and of the fruits and vegetables which 
grew on the island in great abun- 
dance. 

Their manner of catching parrots 
was peculiar : — A boy, ten or twelve 
years old, climbed a tree, where he 
sat perched, holding a live parrot in 
his hand, and his body concealed 
with leaves. The cries of the cap- 
tive bird soon attracted numbers to 
the tree, when the boy easily caught 
them with a noose. 

They had traditions of the creation 



CUBA. 11 

of the world; of the deluge ; of the 
ark, and of the raven and dove being 
sent out of the ark. They believed 
in the immortality of the soul, and 
in future rewards and punishments. 
They have now entirely passed away, 
and the only remaining monuments 
of their existence are the piles of 
human bones found in the caverns 
of the mountains. 



12 CUBA. 



CHAPTER IL 

PRESENT CONDITION. 

The present population of the 
island consists of about one million 
of persons, of whom four hundred 
thousand are whites^ one hundred 
and fifty thousand are free colored 
people, and four hundred and fifty 
thousand are slaves. The whites 
are chiefly native Spaniards, of 
whom, with a few exceptions, are 
composed the merchants, the army, 
the priesthood, and all the govern- 
ment oflicers. The planters and 
farmers are generally Creoles, or 
persons born upon the island. The 
free colored people are by law ex- 
cluded from all civil offices, but com- 
pose a large part of the miUtia. 



CtTBA, 13 

In Cuba there are twelve cities, 
of which Havana is the chief, and 
Matanzas the next in importance. 
There are ten towns, and one 
hundred and eight villages. The 
principal articles of exportation are 
sugar, coffee, molasses, wax, honey, 
tobacco, and copper-ore. Some idea 
of the importance and extent of its 
commerce may be formed from the 
fact, that of the articles just named, 
which were exported in 1844, the 
value was about thirty millions of 
dollars. 

The island possesses many large 
and fine harbors ; some of which are 
among the best in the world. As 
travelers from the United States 
generally sail to Havana, and as its 
harbor is one of the largest and best, 
we will there commence our travels 



14 . CUBA. 

in Cuba. We will suppose that we 
haVe bid good by to our friends— 
that we have been tossed about on 
the deep blue sea— safely passed 
the dangerous reefs of Florida — ^left 
Key West — and are just entering the 
harbor of Havana. Standing on the 
deck, we gaze with wonder on the 
strange scenery and new objects that 
lie before us. 

The most striking objects that 
arrest the attention of the stranger 
on first entering the harbor of Ha- 
vana are the immense and warlike 
castle, which, with its extended forti- 
fications, covers every, summit of the 
hills on the opposite side of its bay ; 
and the Moro, a fortification placed at 
its entrance, and which, raising its 
high tower, looks like a sentinel at 
his post, guarding all below. These 



CUBA. 15 

fortifications. afford the most beautiful 
views, although it is not easy to ob- 
tain permission to visit the interior. 
However, we can enter in imagination 
without any permission, and inspect 
at our leisure this formidable castle. 
We will take one of the numerous 
boats waiting near the dock, and pro- 
ceed to the commencement of a long 
inclined plane, which after a few 
turns leads us to the foot of the for- 
tress, already more than a hundred 
feet above the sea. Here we see the 
perpendicular walls of the fortification 
rising on each side more than sixty 
feet above us, while, at the end of the 
long, wide passage, a battery of can- 
non is prepared to sweep the whole 
approach with its showers of shot. 
This wide passage seems to have 
been excavated out of the solid rock, 



16 CUBA. 

which forms one of its sides, and 
against which a narrow flight of 
stone steps leads to the top of the 
outer parapet. Here we must step 
carefully, as on our right hand there 
is nothing between us and the depth 
below. We have now reached the 
summit — ^let us pause to take breath, 
and gaze on the scene below. Far 
down lies a forest of masts, the tops 
of which are hardly on a level with 
the base of the fortress; and just 
beyond is the populous city, with its 
solid blocks of houses occupying 
every spot of the level land, and 
creeping half way up its surrounding 
hills. Carry your eye southward, 
and trace the shores of the little bay 
everywhere covered with beautiful 
residences ; its waters covered with 
the ships of every nation, riding 



CUBA. 17 

securely at anchor. How the moving 
crowds below are dwindled to pig- 
mies in size ! and that horse with his 
rider looks but little larger than a 
child's toy ! 

But let us leave this spot, and, fol- 
lowing the parapet, trace the walls 
and angles of the fortress. What a 
city of embattlements lies on our left ! 
line upon line, and battery over bat- 
tery, all supporting each other, and 
the whole on such a grand scale, that 
it seems as though it would require 
an army for its garrison. Suddenly, 
the roll of the drum issues from its 
inner depths, and the trumpet speeds 
the message to the next fortress. It 
is the signal of the setting sun, and 
from battery, and fort, and war-ship, 
the evening gun thunders its good- 
night. Now the sudden tumult is 
2 



18 CUBA. 

aver, the mwgled noise of dnim^ and 
trumpet, and cannon, has ceased, 
and silence again reigns. We have 
followed the parapet half a mile ; 
and beyond lies the Moro, v^^ith its 
tall tower, and its terrible batteries ; 
while, on our right, another height is 
covered by batteries that could sweep 
the whole valley. But see, it is rapid- 
ly growing dark! we will carefully 
retrace our steps, call our boatman, 
and leave these dreadful preparations 
for war and bloodshed, fervently 
hoping that the time may not be far 
distant in which men " shall learn war 



CUBA. 19 

CHAPTER III. 
HAVANA. 

Havana is the principal city in the 
Island of Cuba, and contains nearly 
two hundred thousand inhabitants. 
Its streets are uniform in appearance, 
crossing each other at right angles, 
and extending in straight lines from one 
side of the city to the other. In the 
principal streets of the city it requires 
some skill to proceed in safety, such 
is the constant crowd of ox-carts, 
long trains of pack-horses loaded 
with charcoal, poultry, or green fod- 
der, and negro porters carrying huge 
loads on their heads. There are 
many beautiful and extensive stores 
filled with choice dry-goods, jewelry, 
china, glass-ware, etc. The name of 



20 CUBA. 

the merchant never appears on the 
sign-board; but always some word 
as a motto, which however has no 
reference to the goods in the store — 
as, "virtue," "beanty," "a stranger," 
etc. The Havana storekeepers are 
very skillful not only in serving their 
customers, but in asking a good deal 
more than they expect to receive. 
For instance, you ask: "How much 
for this Panama hat?" "Twelve 
dollars." " I wdll give you six." 
" Say eight." " No, only six." " It 
is a very fine one, senor, take it for 
seven ;" and thus he will sell it for a 
little more than half his first price. 
The ladies in shopping do not leave 
their carriages, but have the goods 
brought to them ; and it is only when 
the seller of goods is of their own 
sex that they venture into a store. 



CUBA. 21 

Under the arcades, near the markets 
of Havana, are a great number of 
shops not ten feet square, with a 
show-case in front, before which the 
dealer is constantly walking. At 
night the show-case is carried into 
his little cabin, which serves him for 
shop, sleeping room, and kitchen; 
and where he maybe often seen pre- 
paring his frugal meal over a pan 
of burning charcoal. Many of the 
wealthiest Spanish merchants in Cuba 
have laid the foundation of their for 
tunes in the little shops. The sub- 
stantial manner in which the houses 
are built will attract the attention of a 
stranger. The walls of a single story 
house are .seldom less than two feet 
in thickness ; and in the larger build- 
ings the walls appear as if designed 
for a strong fortification. The value 



22 CUBA. 

of real estate is very high in Havana ; 
and there are not a few houses which 
rent for ten or twelve thousand dol- 
lars. The larger houses are con- 
structed so as to form an open 
square in the centre. The lower 
story is occupied by the store-house, 
reading-room, kitchen, and stable. 
From the common entrance a wide 
flight of steps leads to the second 
story. The chief hall, or parlor, is 
from forty to fifty feet long, twenty 
wide, and twenty feet high; while 
the windows reaching from the floor 
to the ceiling, render it cool and 
pleasant during the hot weather. 
But the most peculiar thing about 
the houses in Havana is .the strong 
iron bars with which all the windows 
are defended, making them look like 
prisons. 



CUBA. ^^ 

Among the public buildings we may 
mention the cathedral, ornamented 
with many paintings of great value, 
and rich in vessels of gold and silver. 
The famous Christopher Columbus, 
the discoverer of America, is buried 
in this church, where there is a splen- 
did monument erected to his memory. 
There are also a great number of 
smaller churches, and several con- 
vents. The prison is a large and 
noble building. It is built in the 
form of a square, each side being 
three hundred feet long, and fifty 
feet high ; and in the centre there is 
a garden watered by a handsome 
fountain. It can contain five thou- 
sand prisoners, and there are seldom 
less than one thousand confined 
within its walls. There is also a 
large and well-arranged military 



24 CUBA. 

hospital, and a hospital set apart for 
persons afflicted with the leprosy. 
Among the public buildings there is 
none, however, more interesting than 
the orphan-house. This is a large 
and handsome building, designed for 
the support and education of boys 
and girls whose parents are dead. 
It is sustained by a fund, the yearly 
income of which is about ninety thou- 
sand dollars. There are generally 
about one hundred and fifty boys, 
and the same number of girls, under 
instruction. These children are taken 
at any age ; and clothed, fed, and 
instructed, at the expense of the 
institution. The boys are put to 
some business or trade at the age of 
thirteen years ; the girls may remain 
until they are twenty-one, and, if they 
have been three years in the institution, 



CUBA. 25 

each receives five hundred dollars at 
her marriage. This excellent insti- 
tution has already placed fourteen 
hundred and eleven boys in situations 
v^^here they can learn useful trades. 
The state of education is very lov7 in 
Havana; and still worse in other 
parts of the Island of Cuba. There 
are but few schools, and very little 
effort is made by the government to 
establish them. As the effect of this 
neglect of education, crime is very 
frequent, and it has been found that 
to a great extent crime and ignorance 
have been connected. Of eight hun- 
dred prisoners charged with serious 
crimes, it was found that four hundred 
and ninety-four could neither read nor 
write. We need scarcely say that 
sabbath schools are unknown. It 
is only where rehgion exercises its 



26 



CUBA. 



saving effect on the heart, that good 
men are led to use efforts to estabhsh 
sabbath schools, and thus obey the 
command of the blessed Jesus, 
" Suffer little children to come unto 
me." 




CUBA. 27 

CHAPTER IV. 
THE SABBATH. 

As the Roman Catholic faith is the 
only religion permitted by the govern- 
ment in the Island of Cuba, it may be 
interesting to the young reader to 

know how the sabbath is observed in 

• 

Havana, the principal city of the 
island. And when he compares the 
religious condition of the people there, 
with the blessed privileges he enjoys 
in the house of God and the sabbath 
school, it may lead him to prize those 
privileges more highly, and to improve 
them better. 

In Havana the holy sabbath com- 
mences with the firing of cannon from 
the fort and armed vessels, the ring- 
ing of merry peals from the numerous 



28 CUBA. 

bells of the different convents and 
churclies, and the beating of drums 
from the barracks and fortifications. 
The streets at an early hour are alive 
v^ith people going to the different 
churches to pay their morning devo- 
tions according to the forms of the 
Church of Rome. On entering the 
church we shall find priests in splen- 
did robes officiating at an altar glitter- 
ing in silver and gold, and reflecting a 
thousand rays from the lights burning 
around it. Several persons are scat- 
tered over the floor of the church, 
some standing, some seated on bench- 
es, or on rugs spread on the floor, 
and some kneeling. As the day pro- 
gresses the congregation increases, 
until about one-eighth of the church 
is filled. Nearest the railing of the 
altar, several negroes in common 



CUBA.. 29 

clothes, some with baskets on their 
arms, are standing or kneehng, and 
behind them a group of well-dressed 
ladies are paying their devotions. 
Then comes an intermingling of all 
colors and sexes, some very splendid- 
ly dressed, and others in the coarsest 
and poorest garments. When the 
service is over, the people retire in 
groups, or interchange civilities with 
each other ; while others are coming 
in to attend the next service, as the 
ceremonies are repeated in all the 
churches from four to nine o'clock in 
the morning. In the city, the stores 
are all open, and the various mechanics 
are busily at work. The hammer of 
the shoemaker is heard as on other 
days, the wheel of the razor-grinder 
whirls as swiftly as ever, the tailor 
plies his needle, and the tobacconist 



30 CUBA. 

fashions his cigar. The seller of 
lottery tickets perambulates the streets 
as usual, horses and carriages crowd 
the thoroughfares, and nothing ap- 
pears to distinquish the sabbath from 
any other day. At the gates of the 
city carriages are passing, filled with 
citizens eager to enjoy the fresh air 
of the country. Toward evening the 
streets are crowded with persons 
walking out. The roads at the same 
time are lined with carriages return- 
ing from the country; and at night 
the crowds flock to listen to the 
music of the military band, which 
plays in the Place of Arms, in front 
of the captain general's mansion. 
Thus passes the sabbath of Cuba. 
The morals of the people, generally, 
are what such a disregard of the sab- 
bath would lead us to expect. Gam- 



CUBA. SI 

bling is universal ; and although the 
nominal religion of the island is Ro- 
man Catholic, the people, generally, 
have no confidence in their spiritual 
teachers, and place very little faith 
in their doctrines. The Bible is, 
however, always an acceptable pre- 
sent to them, and is eagerly read. 
Religious tracts, that contain nothing 
relating to the subject of slavery, are 
also received with readiness, and may 
be extensively distributed. 



32 CUBA. 

CHAPTER V. 
THE COAST — CLIMATE, ETC. 

The coast of the Island of Cuba 
is marked in many places with reefs, 
which run some distance into the sea, 
and with small islands, called keys, 
covered with the mangrove-tree. 
Between these reefs and keys there 
are many winding and narrow chan- 
nels, which render the navigation 
very difficult, and in former times 
served as a favorite hiding place for 
the vessels of pirates. The water is 
as clear as crystal, and abounds with 
a vast variety of fish, while the reefs 
and keys are the resort of a great 
number of water-fowl. Large flocks 
of black ducks swim around them, 
which, when frightened by the ap- 



CUBA. 33 

proach of a boat, will hide their heads 
under the water until the boat is close 
to them, when they fly a short dis- 
tance, and again conceal their heads. 
Various species of cranes and curlews 
perch on the roots of the mangrove- 
trees, or wade in the shallow waters ; 
while, occasionally, large flocks of 
flamingoes are seen, looking at a dis- 
tance, from their long legs and scar- 
let feathers, like a troop of soldiers. 
In sailing through the channels, be- 
tween the reefs and keys, the water 
is so clear that the bottom can be dis- 
tinctly seen, and the various kinds of 
sea-weeds, shells, and fish, present a 
beautiful sight. The boat seems to 
be suspended on the clear water, and 
it is delightful to gaze on the strange 
garden below. The star-fish, a foot 
in diameter, with its five rays, lies 

3 



34 CtJBA. 

motionless on the bottom; sponges, 
corals, and sea-weeds of different 
colors, cover the sands, while fish of 
different forms and hues are darting 
about, or a great turtle, suddenly 
aroused from his sleep, paddles swift- 
ly away, filling the water with a cloud 
of white coral sand. Nothing can 
exceed the beauty of the colors of the 
fish found in these channels. They 
are said to rival in their painted 
scales, and varied tints, the brilliant 
hues of the most beautiful birds. 

The extremities and the centre of 
the Island of Cuba are very moun- 
tainous. Its rivers are generally 
short, running to the south and north 
coasts : some of them, from the 
mountainous nature of the country, 
are very rapid, and full of water- 
falls, and some are lost in the swamps 



CUBA. 35 

on the coast before they reach the 
sea. 

The chmate in the winter and 
spring is very mild and delightful, 
and, from the small quantity of rain 
which falls at these seasons of the 
year, they are commonly called the 
dry seasons. About the first of 
November the summer rains cease, 
and a wind sets in, which, from al- 
ways blowing in one direction, is 
called the trade-wind. As the season 
advances the soil becomes dried to a 
great depth, the trees drop many of 
their leaves, and the herbage is parch- 
ed in the fields, affording but a scanty 
supply to the cattle which are now 
fed on the guinea-grass and sugar- 
canes that remain green all the year. 
In April and May, when the spring 
has commenced with us, everything 



36 CUBA. 

in Cuba is dry and parched. The 
palm-trees wear their dark green 
winter dress, the woods present no 
new leaves, and the fields are not 
covered with the lively green of the 
young grass. June, however, ap- 
proaches, with its heavy showers and 
hot sunshine ; and vegetation starts 
forth with a rapidity unknown to us. 
The spears of the palm-trees are rapid- 
ly unfolded into long fringed leaflets ; 
the plantain unrolls its light green 
scrolls, and exposes its broad tender 
leaves to the wind ; the orange and 
lemon-trees put forth luxuriant shoots, 
and the parched fields are covered 
with a carpet of bright green. 

The rainy season is ushered in by 
violent storms. For several days the 
whole canopy of the heavens is cover- 
ed by heavy clouds. About two 



CUBA. 37 

o'clock in the afternoon the clouds 
gather into one great black mass, and 
the wind gradually falls until a deep 
calm succeeds, and every leaf becomes 
motionless. And now, the sudden 
blast bursts through the still air, the 
forest trees groan under its power, 
and the tender plants are thrown to 
the earth. The long, pliant leaves 
of the tall palm flutter in the rushing 
wind ; and the broad, tender leaves 
of the plantain are lashed into shreds ; 
but the whole scene is soon hid by the 
torrents of rain. The air is filled 
with a mass of rushing waters; and 
the streams and flashes of the li^ht- 
ning seem to mingle with the constant 
roar of the thunder. In less than an 
hour the storm passes away ; but 
fresh clouds constantly arise, and 
heavy showers fall in different places. 



38 CUBA. 

At night a refreshing coolness fills the 
air, and millions of fire-flies illuminate 
the forest with their little sparkling 
lamps. The scorpion now leaves his 
snug winter quarters in the palm- 
thatched roof, and crawls about the 
cottage of the laborer, sometimes 
finding its way into his bed, his shoes, 
and his clothes. A vast variety of 
beautiful butterflies are on the wing. 
Flowers of every hue display their 
colors, and the various forest and 
fruit trees display their blossoms, 
soon to be followed by the rich and 
luscious fruit. 



CUBA. 39 

CHAPTER VI. 
RIDE IN THE INTERIOR. 

To the stranger from a northern 
climate, a ride through any part of 
the Island of Cuba is full of interest. 
The trees, the fruits, the flowers, the 
birds, the insects, the houses, the 
people — all proclaim that this is the 
land of the sun, a strange and foreign 
shore. As we leave Havana, the 
principal city, and pass onward into 
the interior of the island, everything 
is strange and new. We pass well- 
stocked farms, surrounded by hedges 
of aloes ; their sharp-pointed and long 
stiff leaves closely interlaced form a 
very secure fence. While from the 
centre of these clustered spears, tall, 
straight flowering stems, twenty feet 



40 CUBA. 

high, raise their twisted branches and 
cup-hke blossoms. Then comes the 
square-trimmed hme hedge, with its 
small clusters of white flowers yield- 
ing their perfume to the air, equally 
secure against the intrusion of man or 
beast; and next, long lines of unce- 
mented stone fences, built of the jagged 
honeycomb coral rock that abounds 
throughout the country. These fences 
often inclose whole acres of rich and 
fragrant pine-apples, each sustained 
by a short stalk above the circle of 
thorny leaves composing the plant. 
Some are still small, and covered 
with the small blue flowers that blos- 
som all over the plant ; while others 
are large, ripe, and of a golden hue. 

Now we pass by fields of plantains 
growing thickly together, bearing 
above their slender trunks heavy 



CUBA. 41 

bunches of green fruit; their long, 
tender, fan-like leaves, torn in shreds 
by the wind. Surrounding us, on 
every side, are curious plants or trees, 
springing from the rit;h soil, and 
arresting our attention by their rich 
foliage, or beautiful and fragrant 
flowers. But we are now beyond the 
immediate neighborhood of the city, 
and the gardens and farms are suc- 
ceeded by extensive coffee and sugar 
estates. Here the tall palm, queen 
of the forest, meets the eye on every 
side. Sometimes standing alone, and 
scattered over fields of sugar-cane, 
with their tall straight trunks, and their 
tufted crowns of long, branch-like, 
fringed leaves, waving and trembling 
in every breeze. Now, in long ave- 
nues of beautiful columns, their leaves 
reaching across, and intermingling. 



42 CUBA. 

form one continued arch. As we 
proceed, we pass coffee plantations, 
with their low and evenly pruned 
shrubs closely planted, and divided 
into large squares by mangoe, palm, 
or orange trees. The whole country 
around us looks like an immense 
garden, and as we gaze over the 
wide expanse, and survey the beauties 
of hill and dale, woodland and field, 
it would seem as though none but 
holy beings could dwell in a scene so 
beautiful. But, alas! the beautiful 
words of Bishop Heber may be ap- 
plied to this highly gifted spot : — 

" What though the spicy breezes 

Blow soft o'er Cuba's isle ; 
Though every prospect pleases, 

And only man is vile ; 
In vain with lavish kindness 

The gifts of God are strown ; 
The heathen in his blindness 

Bows down to wood and stone." 



CUBA. 43 

As night approaches, the landscape 
is even more beautiful in the soft 
light of declining day than under 
the bright rays of the sun. The 
wind subsides to a perfect calm, and 
an air of peaceful quiet hangs over the 
whole land. Even the fringed leaves 
of the palms are motionless, and droop 
from the long and gracefully arched 
stems. About us, all surrounding 
objects are mellowed by the increas- 
ing shades, but in the distance all 
becomes indistinct. Star after star 
now rapidly appears — ^for here no twi- 
light makes the day gradually darken 
into night — and the whole sky is soon 
blazing with its thousand lamps. 
Immediately after the sun disappears 
the air is filled with fire-flies, darting 
in all directions like so many little 
lamps. The trees sparkle and glow 



44 CUBA. 

with ten thousand gems in constant 
motion, emitting a bright hght, while on 
every side multitudes of them sweep 
along like sheets of light, illuminating 
the surrounding air. The country la- 
dies catch these insects and put them 
in the flounces of their dresses when 
about to attend their dancing parties. 
The motion excites the insects to give 
out their light, when they resemble 
the sparkling brilliancy of large dia- 
monds. They are a species of beetle, 
about an inch long, and a quarter of 
an inch broad. The chief bright 
spot is on the under part of their 
bodies, and is a quarter of an inch 
long, and the eighth of an inch wide ; 
this, when they fly, resembles a burn- 
ing taper, and is exceedingly brilliant. 
As coffee and sugar are the principal 
articles raised on the island, we will 



CUBA. 



45 



accompany the young reader in a 
visit to the plantations where they 
are produced, and see the mode in 
which they are prepared for the 
market. 







46 CUBA. 



CHAPTER VII. 
■y 

THE COFFEE PLANTATION. 

Imagine more than three hundred 
acres of land planted in regular 
squares, with evenly pruned shrubs ; 
each square containing about eight 
acres, crossed by broad alleys of 
palms, orange-trees, mangoes, and 
other beautiful trees; the spaces 
between which are planted with 
lemon - trees, pomegranates, jessa- 
mines, lilies, and various other fra- 
grant flowers of rich and beautiful 
colors; while a double strip of guinea- 
grass, or of pineapple plants, skirt the 
sides, presenting a pretty contrast to 
the smooth red soil in the centre, 
which is kept free from all verdure. 
When these various trees and plants 



CUBA. 47 

are in flower nothing can exceed the 
beauty of the scene. The flower of 
the coffee-tree is white, and so abun- 
dant, that the fields look as if covered 
with snow. The rose-apple bears a 
blossom that looks like a beautiful 
fringe ; while the pomegranate and 
Mexican rose present clusters of 
blossoms of a rich red color. The 
lirio, one of the most singular 
plants of the warm regions, bears 
trumpet-shaped flowers of yellow and 
red, and bursting in bunches from the 
blunt ends of their leafless branches. 
The young pineapples are covered 
with blue flowers, growing out of the 
centres of the little squares with 
which they are marked ; while the 
white and fragrant tube-roses, the 
double jessamines, the gaudy yellow 
flag, the scarlet flowers of the pinon, 



48 CUBA. 

and a multitude of beautiful blossoms 
peculiar to warm climates, fill the air 
with their perfume, and delight the 
eye with their rich colors and grace- 
ful forms. 

As the season advances, many of 
the flowers give place to the ripened 
fruit ; the golden orange, the yellow 
mango, the lime, the lemon, the lus- 
cious caimito, and sugared zapote, the 
mellow alligator pear, the custard- 
apple, and the rose-apple, hang on 
the trees in rich abundance, and fur- 
nish a delightful refreshment in this 
sultry climate. 

Unlike the gardens of our northern 
homes, this beautiful appearance is 
not confined to a short period only. 
The coffee-tree has successive crops 
of blossoms five or six times in the 
winter and spring; and, on the orange- 



CUBA. 49 

tree, the blossom and the ripe fruit, 
and the young green fruit, are often 
seen at the same time ; while several 
of the shrubs and plants bloom nearly 
all the year. 

The coffee-tree was originally 
brought from Ethiopia to Persia, and 
from thence to the West Indies. In 
1690, the Dutch governor of Batavia, 
having raised the plant from seeds 
procured in Arabia, sent one plant to 
Amsterdam in Holland. From this 
plant others were raised, and some of 
them were sent to the West Indies; 
from these were derived the exten- 
sive plantations of this tree now cul- 
tivated in the Island of Cuba, and in 
the other islands and countries of the 
tropics. 

If left to nature, the coffee-tree 
attains a height of twelve or eighteen 



50 CUBA. 

feet, and gives off branches whieh are 
knotted at every joint, and, like the 
trunk, are covered with a gray-colored 
bark. The blossoms are white, and 
form thick circular clusters around 
the branches. The berries at first 
are green ; but as they increase in 
size, and become ripe, they turn 
white, then yellow, and finally bright 
red, closely resembling the cherry in 
size and appearance. The trees are 
loaded with them, in circles around 
each joint of the branches ; as many 
as ninety of these cherries have been 
counted upon a single branch two 
feet long. Each cherry contains two 
coffee berries, with their flat sides 
laid together, and surrounded by a 
soft sweet pulp. 

The coffee nursery is made by 
clearing away the undergrowth of a 



CUBA. 61 

wood, leaving the high trees to pro- 
tect the young plants by their shade. 
The coffee cherries are here sown, 
and the young plants, when from 
one to four years old, are transplanted, 
and placed six feet apart, in squares, 
each square containing ten thousand 
trees. They are then cut off about 
two inches from the ground, and the 
new shoot which springs up forms 
the future tree, and bears fruit the 
third year. They are then kept 
pruned to the height of five feet, and 
all the dead branches are carefully 
trimmed away every year. Among 
the young coffee-trees, rows of plan- 
tains are formed eighteen feet apart; 
and corn is freely sown in all the 
vacant spaces. 

The coffee cherries ripen from Au- 
gust to December, and are all gathered 



52 CUBA. 

singly by the hand ; and as three or 
four different crops are often ripening 
at the same time on each tree, as many 
separate pickings are required. The 
cherries are brought in baskets from 
the fields, and during the day are ex- 
posed to the heat of the sun. At 
night they are raked together in 
heaps, and covered with straw to pro- 
tect them from the heavy dews ; after 
three weeks they become quite dried, 
and are then fit for the mill. The 
coffee-mill consists of a large round 
wooden trough, about two feet deep. 
Within this there is a heavy, solid, 
wooden wheel, which is made to re- 
volve by a mule or an ox. The dried 
coffee cherries are poured into the 
space between the wheel and the 
sides of the trough, and are cleansed 
by being forcibly pressed and rubbed 



CUBA. 



53 



against each other. They are then 
put into a fanning-mill, which sepa- 
rates the husk from the berries, and 
divides the larger from the smaller 
grains. It is now ready for market, 
and is packed in bags made of Manilla 
hemp, as nothing else is strong enough 
to resist the pressure caused by the 
swelling of the coffee from the moist- 
ure of the air. 




HIH 



■fuiTir 



54 CUBA. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
THE SUGAR PLANTATION. 

In strong contrast to the beautiful 
appearance of a coflfee plantation, 
the sugar estate spreads out its soli- 
tary but extensive field of cane, with 
nothing to vary the prospect but the 
tall and slender palm-tree scattered 
here and there through its whole ex- 
tent. Three kinds of sugar-cane are 
planted. The Otaheite, which is yel- 
low, and very rich in sugar ; the rib- 
hon-cane, striped with purple bands ; 
and the crystaline, having long joints, 
and of a bluish color. The cane is 
raised from slips, which are planted 
in rows, and require to be kept clear 
from weeds. When the cane has 
become sufficiently ripe for cutting, 



CUBA. as 

the sugar plantation wears an aspect 
of great activity. The greater part 
of the slaves are employed in cutting 
the cane. This is done by a short 
sword-like cleaver, one stroke cutting 
the cane close to the ground, and 
another removing the unripe tops, 
which are thrown into one long heap, 
and the canes into another. The tops 
are left for the cattle to feed on, and 
the canes are removed to the mill. 
They are placed at the mill on a 
revolving platform, which conveys 
them to the rollers, through which 
they pass, and which squeezes from - 
them all the juice. The crushed ^ 
stalks fall on another revolving plat-- 
form, and are carried off to a spot 
where a number of slaves are waiting 
to convey them into the yard. They 
are there exposed to the sun until 



56 CUBA. 

quite dry, when they are packed under 
large sheds, and used as fuel for boil- 
ing the cane juice. 

The juice flows from the rollers into 
a large reservoir, in which it is gently 
heated, and where it deposits the dirt 
and pieces of cane that have escaped 
with it from the rollers. From this it 
is drawn off into a large caldron, 
where it undergoes a rapid boiling, 
and has a little lime added to it to 
correct its acidity. When reduced 
to a certain degree, it is dipped out 
by ladles into another caldron, w^here 
it is suffered to boil until it reaches a 
point at which, by becoming cool, it 
will form small grains or crystals. It 
is now removed by large ladles into 
a long wooden trough, and stirred 
until it is cold. The mass now con- 
sists of grains of sugar and the mo- 



CUBA. 57 

lasses. When it is designed to make 
the sugar called muscovado, the mass 
is conveyed into large wooden cisterns, 
and the molasses is drained away. 

To make the kind of sugar called 
white Havana, the mass is placed in 
earthen or tin pans, each holding 
about eighty pounds, and the molasses 
is drained off. Clay, made into a 
soft paste with water, is now spread 
over the sugar about three inches 
thick. The water, slowly separating 
from the clay, passes through the 
brown sugar below, and washes off 
the molasses, leaving the sugar clean 
and white. 

During the dry season the sugar 
planter is in constant dread of his 
fields taking fire, and his whole crop, 
and perhaps his buildings, being thus 
destroyed in a few hours. 



58 CUBA. 

As soon as the fire is discovered the 
large bell of the estate is rapidly 
tolled, and the neighboring estates 
send forth their troops of slaves at the 
summons, who hasten to the spot. 
Lanes are cut through the field, and 
counter-fires lighted; but in some 
cases the lane is cut too close to the 
fire, and the whole field is destroyed. 
The roaring of the flames, the loud 
cracking of the burning cane, the 
volumes of smoke that sweep along 
the ground, the hundreds of half- 
naked slaves, with their sword-like 
cleavers hewing down the cane, and 
the white men on horseback, gallop- 
ing about and shouting their orders, 
all combine to make it a striking and 
awful scene. 



CUBA. 59 



CHAPTER IX. 
PEASANTRY. 

As we have now seen the coffee 
and the sugar planter, we will, if the 
young reader please, pay a visit to the 
cottage of the hardy peasant. In the 
centre of an open spot, generally bare 
of high trees, a small hut may be seen, 
often formed entirely of the palm- 
tree. Its trunk, split into poles, and 
tied firmly together by strips of bark, 
forms the frame and rafters. The foot- 
stalk, or part of the leaf that encircles 
the trunk, is spread out, and sewed to 
the sides of the hut, and being about 
five feet long and three wide, and 
secure against the rain, forms an 
excellent protection against the wea- 
ther. The roof is next thatched with 



60 CUBA. 

the long stems of the palm-leaf, cut 
into pieces three feet long, and tied 
to the rafters, forming a covering 
about a foot thick, through which 
neither heat nor wet can penetrate. 
The door and window-shutter alone 
are of planks, the floor being of clay 
or mud. The furniture within is as 
simple and scanty as the house itself. 
A cot, a bench, a table, a shelf, and 
sometimes a chest, comprise the 
whole ; two or three plates, and a 
few cups for coffee, compose his 
breakfast and dinner sets. 

Near the hut, the peasant's horse is 
tied to a tree ; and perhaps a small 
house may stand close by for his 
fowls, which, however, more frequent- 
ly roost upon the trees, or in his ovni 
hut. In the background is his patch 
of plantains, on which he depends all 



CUBA. 61 

the year round for his daily bread. 
People this spot with half a dozen 
naked children, whose skins seem 
never to have been acquainted with 
soap and water; a slovenly dressed 
woman; and a man in pantaloons 
and shirt, with a sword lashed to his 
side, and spurs to his cow-hide shoes, 
and you have a faithful picture of a 
Cuba peasant, with his family and 
home. The peasant of Cuba has a 
warm affection for his horse. He 
never travels in any other way than 
on horseback : indeed a foot-traveler 
is unknown in the island. The very 
beggars go on horseback ; and some- 
times two may be seen riding on the 
same horse, and calling at some hos- 
pitable mansion, where all their wants 
are supplied. 

With all this absence of what we 



62 CUBA. 

are accustomed to call the comforts 
of life, such is the mildness of the 
climate, and so abundant the supply 
of native fruits, that the situation of 
the peasant is more agreeable than 
we should suppose. The hut, shaded 
bj groups of cocoa-nut trees, and sur- 
rounded by oranges, lemons, and plan- 
tains, has a pretty appearance, and a 
very little labor supplies all the want^ 
of the family. If a stranger wishes a 
few cocoa-nuts, one of the little boys 
of the peasant's family will climb up 
the tall trunk of one of the trees, and, 
holding on to the long branch-like 
leaves, crawl into the tufted crown of 
the tree, and, pushing off the fruit with 
his feet, call out to the stranger to 
take care of his head. The little fel- 
low seems quite fearless, and, winding 
his light body between the leaves, 



CUBA. 



63 



slides down the slippery trunk. With 
his knife he cuts through the rind and 
shell of the nut, which, when green, 
is not hard, and, politely presenting 
it, is amply rewarded by a small 
gift 




64 * CUBA. 

CHAPTER X. 

BIRDS, ETC. 

The birds of Cuba are very nu- 
merous, and some of them are very 
beautiful ; but with the exception of 
the mocking-bird, and one or two 
others, they do not sing. The green 
and large red parrot; the flamingo, 
with its rich scarlet plumes; the 
ivory-billed woodpecker, and the hum- 
ming ■ birds, are all very beautiful. 
One of the most remarkable birds is 
the judeo, about the size and shape of a 
crow, with black plumage, and a great 
hooked bill as large as its whole head. 
They fly in flocks, and when perched 
place sentinels on the watch, who 
proclaim the approach of a person by 
screaming ^^hudeo I hudeo .'" 



CUBA. 65 

The arriero is one of the most 
graceful birds on the island. It 
is about the size of a pigeon, of a 
brown color, and with a long tail. 
It runs along the branches of the 
trees, very much like a squirrel. 

The doti is a social, lively little 
bird. It is about the size of a black- 
bird, is a great thief, and is seen in 
large flocks about the stables and 
sugar houses. 

About February, when the sour 
oranges are quite ripe, large flocks 
of parrots settle on the trees, and 
devour the oranges; and are fre- 
quently shot for eating, or caught 
for sale. 

The quadrupeds of Cuba are very 
few in number. A few deer are 
found in the swamps. Wild dogs 

5 



66 CUBA. 

and wild cats are very numerous. 
They were originally brought to the 
island by the French; and were 
left behind when their masters were 
suddenly driven away. Being com- 
pelled to seek for their own living, 
they have become wild, and are very 
destructive to the poultry. "With the 
exception of the scorpion, and a large 
kind of spider, there are no venomous 
reptiles or insects in Cuba. The 
snakes are all harmless. Alligators 
are found only in some parts of the 
rivers near the sea ; and not a single 
dangerous animal roams through its 
forests. 

As many of our young readers have 
heard of the celebrated bloodhounds 
of Cuba, it may be interesting to them 
to know something concerning them. 



CUBA. 67 

They are about the size of a mastiff, 
with a longer nose and legs. They 
are very fierce and dangerous, but 
owe their habits of tracing persons to 
education. They are generally kept 
for the purpose of hunting runaway 
slaves. When nearly grown, the 
dog is chained up, and a negro is 
sent to worry him, by whipping and 
other means. After a long training, 
and when the dog has acquired a 
perfect hatred of his tormentor, the 
negro whips him severely, and then 
runs to a great distance, and climbs 
a tree. The dog is now let loose, 
and follows his track, nor will he 
leave the tree until he is taken away, 
or the negro descends. 

In addition to the great number of 
fruit-trees, there are many forest- 



68 CUBA. 

trees which are very valuable and 
curious. 

The palm is the most valuable 
tree on the island — and one of the 
most beautiful of the whole world. 
It not only furnishes by its flowers a 
fruitful source of honey to the bee, 
and by its seeds a favorite food to 
animals, but its leaves and trunk fur- 
nish all the materials necessary for 
building the cottage of the laborer. 
It grows in all soils, attains a height 
of sixty or seventy feet, while the 
trunk, erect, and quite smooth, is 
but one or two feet thick. It ends 
in a green top, six feet long, com- 
posed of footstalks of the leaves, and 
inclosing the young leaves, which 
when boiled are more delicate than 
the garden cabbage. Each tree has 



CUBA. 69 

twenty leaves, and each leaf is about 
fourteen feet long, while from the 
centre a single unopened leaf, like a 
tall spear, shoots up ten feet high. 

The granadillo grows about twelve 
feet high, and from its hardness and 
beautiful color is selected for walk- 
ing canes. The majagua is a fine 
tree, growing to the height of forty 
feet, and bearing red flowers. Its 
bark is very strong, and, when strip- 
ped into ribbons, is twisted into ropes 
for wells and ox-carts. Among the 
many curious trees may be mention- 
ed the sandbox-tree, covered to its 
smallest branches with strong thorns, 
and bearing a pod so shaped as to 
make it a perfect sandbox; the 
trumpet-tree, with a hollow trunk; 
the laguey macho, growing on the 



70 CUBA. 

tops of the highest trees, and sending 
down a small, long string, which takes 
root in the ground ; and the mangrove, 
which sends down roots from every 
branch, until it is multipHed into a 
forest, growing into the sea. 



THE END. 



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